Premier League champions Manchester City are leading the race to sign Fiorentina’s star striker Dusan Vlahovic next season.
According to a report from La Repubblica, as relayed by TuttoJuve, Manchester City have taken the lead in the race to sign Dusan Vlahovic. The Fiorentina forward has emerged as one of the hottest prospects in the transfer market, with multiple European giants prepared to snap him up next summer.
But it appears Manchester City have emerged as the frontrunners in the pursuit of Vlahovic, who is also a target for the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. The Magpies were even willing to shell out €100 million for the star striker, although it appears their current struggles in the league has left them an undesirable destination for top players.
Vlahovic certainly falls into that category, having been in red hot scoring form over the past 18 months or so. Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the striker has netted as many as 37 league goals in just 55 Serie A appearances. He even matched the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 33 goals in a calendar year by scoring in the recent draw with Sassuolo.
Vlahovic’s contributions in front of goal have helped Fiorentina emerge as a shocking contender for the European spots, with the Viola currently sixth in the league table, ahead of giants like Juventus and Lazio.
His story at Fiorentina might not last for long, though, with Manchester City seemingly emerging as favourites to secure his services after the end of the season. There were reports earlier this month that claimed the Citizens were willing to fork out €85 million for the towering Serbian forward, whose style of play is likened to Erling Haaland.
Although Vlahovic may not have the pace of Haaland, he is certainly a cheaper alternative and is unlikely to demand a hefty wage packet that may even force Manchester City to offload some of the star players in the team. Ferran Torres, for one, is already flirting with the idea of a potential exit amid interest from Barcelona.
It remains unclear whether Manchester City have agreed to meet Fiorentina’s €100 million valuation for Vlahovic. But it will be interesting to see how the other suitors, including Juventus, react if the Sky Blues are indeed in the driver’s seat for the pursuit of the young forward next summer.